Armed activities of Kuki-Chin in hills an isolated incident: Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday (7 April) said the armed activities of Kuki-Chin in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is a sporadic incident, while the government has taken a cautious and rigid stance to this end. "Kuki-Chin will not be able to create unrest in the whole CHT. The government has taken a strong stance. This is an isolated incident. Overall peace in the hills will not be disturbed," he said. Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the AL president`s Dhanmondi political office in the capital. He said the home minister has visited the CHT area and a joint operation is going on there. "BNP is looking for issues to conceal its failure. After failing in Myanmar issue, now BNP is now capitalising on Kuki-Chin issue. This is an isolated incident. This will not impact the overall peace situation in the hills. So finding a new issue about it, BNP will fail too," the AL general secretary said. Claiming that BNP does not have the capacity to wage a movement, he said the BNP has lost all its energy as its leaders and activities are disappointed with the leadership of the party. "They are disappointed on Tarique (BNP acting chairman). Their leader is not in the country, so how will a movement be waged with a remote control? Is it possible? If you want to wage a movement, you have to come to the streets. People will not respond to the call of remote control," he said. Blaming BNP for the existing condition of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, Quader said BNP failed in the movement and Begum Zia`s legal battle too. About the upcoming upazila parishad elections, he said the candidatures to the polls have been opened, meaning that anyone can contest the elections in an open environment. Lawmakers and ministers will not interfere in the elections and the administration will remain neutral, the AL general secretary said, adding that after the finalisation of the candidature, if anyone violates the party instructions, organisational measures will be taken against him or her. AL Organising Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, Mirza Azam and Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua and Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan were, among others, present at the press conference.